You Still Get Something When You Quit

Some of us look at quitting as unacceptable. We’re told that we should never give up on what we’re pursuing, but knowledge and experience are not “all or nothing” things. Sometimes it’s okay to quit.

Whether it’s a project, goal, or even a job, you may find yourself not wanting to continue. The problem is, a lot of people feel that way and stick through it because they’re afraid to quit. Writer and designer Sarah Kathleen Peck talks in her Medium blog about how she was constantly frustrated with herself over incomplete projects. Eventually she had a moment of clarity:

And then it hit me: what if I was getting exactly what I needed? These courses and events served as inspiration for my soul, and my soul nudged me when it was time to begin working. Like a creative coach blowing the whistle, she stood on the sidelines while I soaked in knowledge until they stepped in and said, “Okay, Sarah, go make that thing. You heard the whisper. Now make.” What if my ego was the only part of me that really cared about finishing? You don’t have to do everything to get something out of it.

Not everything you do needs to be finished. Sometimes it’s okay to start something, get whatever it is you wanted from it—inspiration, experience, knowledge—and run. There are some things that are certainly better off being seen through, but why waste your time and efforts on a project when you’ve already found what you wanted?